


To Be Whole, To Be Holy

by Latia



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Gen, Homestuck Shipping World Cup, Illustrated
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-02
Updated: 2013-06-02
Packaged: 2017-12-13 17:27:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/826891
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Latia/pseuds/Latia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"I know this isn’t very maternal of me, forcing you into my line of work. I’ve seen the movies, I’ve heard the moral to every story. But you need to understand—this is the only way you have a hope in Hell of survival. Starting right now, you’re in a beauty pageant called Life and Death, and you’ll only be able to win by being more pretty and more witty and more willing to pull a trigger than any of the other little girls."</p><p>Written for a HSWC Bonus Round.</p>
            </blockquote>





	To Be Whole, To Be Holy

**Author's Note:**

> original prompt: http://hs-worldcup.dreamwidth.org/3493.html?thread=341669#cmt341669

 

 

  
[ ](http://imgur.com/VJKZ07V)

[ ](http://imgur.com/OM6ZBdX)

Wait, is THAT the light? Oh for god's--

 

  
[ ](http://imgur.com/VJKZ07V)

 

Roxy.

…

 

[ ](http://imgur.com/w9Q4aIW)

I actually don’t know if you’ll understand what that means. For all I know you’ll never touch those school primers I’ve left for you. You might become a feral child and have to imprint on some wild lusus, some sort of mammoth alien duck with nine heads. A post-apocalyptic Mowgli. And you won’t even have a Bageera to keep you company.

…not that you’ll understand that reference. For all I know you’re only seeing this as some strange hairless oddity gargling strange noises at you . For all I know you’ve already died and this is just rotting on your desk.

…

 

[ ](http://imgur.com/ShFJzLW)

  
That was a joke, of course. No daughter of mine is going to die a nothing.

 

[ ](http://imgur.com/muEbmmk)

 

  


 

Listen well, my dear. I know I’m probably going to say some things you won’t entirely understand, but you’ll have all the time in the world to re-listen. And if my words are too big, too complicated, too fast for your little ears…well, tough luck. There’s a dictionary on the second shelf in your book case. You’re going to have to become familiar with it

My name is Rose Lalonde. I am the author of several books, most notably the Complacency of the Learned series. Some time in the past two years I’ve become something of a celebrity, in part because of my position of a beloved literary icon, filling magazine covers and bookstore fronts with my benevolent smile. More recently, however, attention has been hammered into me due to my revolutionary anti-alien actions. 

I am your mother, Roxy. And I am dead.

...

I don’t know if you’re at that age where sentimentality has stuck its sticky, crooked fingers into you yet. Maybe you’ll skip it entirely—maybe that’d be for the better. Either way, I don’t want you wasting a scrap of time shedding tears over me. I know it’s going to happen. No matter when you watch this, these will be the words of a corpse.

My murderer will be—will be, is, was—a very strange and crafty witch. There will be a chance that I will have taken her out with me, and if I have, you have permission to be impressed. But the more likely outcome will be that I will have failed. That’s why I’ve left you countless files, newspaper clippings, any scrap of information on her, tucked into your little stuffed companions, your books, around the house. That’s why I’ve left you this. Roxy, I know I don’t have much time left. And the horde of seconds I squirreled away might have just been halved.

 

[ ](http://imgur.com/HtWP0qq)

Roxy. I—

 

 

I know this isn’t very maternal of me, forcing you into my line of work. I’ve seen the movies, I’ve heard the moral to every story. But you need to understand—this is the only way you have a hope in Hell of survival. Starting right now, you’re in a beauty pageant called Life and Death, and you’ll only be able to win by being more pretty and more witty and more willing to pull a trigger than any of the other little girls.

There’s food in the cellar, and tools you’ll be able to use to catch fish. I’ve left instructions for all the technology around the house. They’re marked with pink Post-It notes—I have a hunch you’ll like the color. As I’ve said, there’s info on the Batterwitch all over. History books too, you’ll need those.

The computer, you’ll be able to speak with people from before. It’s a long story, but I know you’ll be able to figure it out. You’ll be able to speak to them, the ones in the past, but you can’t tell them of your life. You can’t tell them what’s happened. 

…or, well maybe you can, It’s not like they’ll be able to do anything about it. Ha.

 

Roxy—there’s a boy. I lied, you do have a Bagheera—his name is Dirk Strider, and if he’s anything like his father, he will be the most insufferable, obnoxious, grating human being on the planet.

He will also be the _only_ human being on the planet. And, if he’s anything like his father, he will be your greatest ally. The language of Striders is a difficult, grating one, Roxy, but I’m sure you can pick it up. Find him. Find him and-

There’ll be a game. Two others—you’ll have to fight. You’ll have to struggle to survive. you might have to die. More than once. Trust me, you’ll get used to dying. It’s not that difficult.

There are letters in my room with more information. You have every ounce of permission to get your grubby little paws on my belongings--

 **BANG**

 

  


  
!

Oh. Fuck.

 

 

 

[](http://imgur.com/zbUAxwO)

 

Listen. It won’t be easy-—believe me, I know. Your life will be much harder than mine ever was. It’s just the way it has to be, if you ever want to kill her. No, you will want to kill her—I’m not even being factious enough to assume you’ll want to avenge me, trust me, you _will_ want to kill her. And when you do—

Tell her who you are. Tell her you’re a Lalonde, and she’ll know. And I know you’ll do it. That’s why I won’t wish you luck, because you’re not like me—you’re better than luck. You’ll be strong, stronger than you know, stronger than anyone will know. Like I said, you’re a Lalonde—call it your inheritance.

…Roxy.

Grow up. Grow up, and grow strong. Go out into whatever’s left of the world, and scare the hell out of them. Become a legend, a myth. Become the tales trolls tell their children, the monster lurking under the metaphorical bed. Become someone big and terrible and beautiful. Become yourself.

And whatever you might do, wherever you may go—

 

 

[](http://imgur.com/DpnXSBy)

 

know that I love you so, so much.

 

[](http://imgur.com/6jEra9C)

 

Give them hell, my love.

  
_"I’ll teach her that she has an army inside her_  
 _that can save her life._  
 _I’ll teach her to be whole, to be holy._  
 _I’ll teach her how to live,_  
 _to be so much that she doesn’t even_  
 _need me anymore._  
 _I’ll tell her to go quickly and never come back."_

\-- _Daughter_ , Nicole Blackman


End file.
